'Mary Poppins' New Movie Pulls From P.L. Travers' Other Books

The iconic Disney classic "Mary Poppins" isn't getting a sequel as much as an extension of sorts in the form of a live-action musical film headed up by "Into the Woods" director Rob Marshall.

The new "Mary Poppins" will take place in London during the Depression some 20 years after the time period of the original, according to Entertainment Weekly. 

Disney's 1964 movie leaned on the first installment of author 'P.L. Travers series of eight children books about Mary Poppins which she wrote from 1934 to 1988, suggesting there's plenty more territory to cover.

Because the new movie isn't being developed as a sequel, it will follow the nanny's new adventures with the Banks family within the established storylines of Travers' other seven books.

The Hollywood Reporter said Disney is working with Travers' estate in the production of the new "Mary Poppins." As the movie "Saving Mr. Banks" illustrated, there was a rocky relationship the Australian-born author and Walt Disney in getting the first motion picture made.

Travers died in London in 1996 at the age of 96, according to Biography.com. She had eventually moved to London and wrote the "Mary Poppins" books from entertaining young children, along with a love of mythology.

To fully appreciate how big the movie "Mary Poppins" was at the time, according to Box Office Mojo, the $31 million made by the picture in 1964 adjusted for inflation would make it the 25th highest grossing movie of all-time ahead of 2012's "Marvel's The Avengers" and 2008's "The Dark Knight," and 1978's "Grease."

Marshall was nominated for a directing Academy Award in 2003 for his work in the musical "Chicago." He won three Emmy Awards in 2007 for his work in "Tony Bennett: An American Classic."

He also directed "Memories of a Geisha" in 2005, "Nine" in 2009, and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tide" in 2011.

Marshall will be joined by the songwriting duo Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, from "Hairspray" and "Smash," who will write the original songs and score.

David Magee, of "Finding Neverland" and "Life of Pi," is slated to be the screenwriter.

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